I have been a personal trainer and health coach for over 26 years. In that time, I had been lucky to not have had many injuries. In 2000 though I was coaching a Special Olympics power lifting team. One of the athletes was performing a squat and became scared. He dropped the bar off his shoulders behind him. I was spotting him at the time and when he let go of the bar it was about 5 feet off the ground. To keep the bar from hitting him I pulled it back and slowed it down before it hit the ground. In doing this I injured my back which caused compression in vertebrate L-3 through L-5. This injury has stayed with me to today.

It never really slowed me down though. Since I knew I had to maintain proper form when lifting. I was still able to lift very heavy weights for bodybuilding and power lifting exercises. In the gym I am always being mindful of not only my form, but also the form of my clients.

When I was not in the gym exercising I was not always being mindful. A good example is when I was performing simple tasks around the house, such as working in the yard moving rocks, moving furniture, etc. Since, I was just trying to get them done quickly I would re-activate the injury on average once every 2 years.

Until in 2016 when I began doing yoga to loosen up my body. I knew it was vital to improve my flexibility to relieve the pressure that was consistently on my spine. I also decided to drop 30 pounds of muscle. By doing this I increased my flexibility and took the extra weighted pressure off my spine. This increase in my flexibility and the decreased muscle mass made a big difference in the injury possibility to the point where I had forgotten all about the lower back compression injury. I figured if I maintain a good regiment of Yoga, weight training and cardio I would be fine.

This week though I knew my body was feeling muscularly weak. Instead of being mindful and resting it, I ignored it and kept pushing myself with heavy weights. As a result, I activated the old injury and now have had to take time off to recover and self-rehab. If I had I been listening to my body I could have avoided activating the old injury.

The decision to not listen to my body and rest lies completely with me. I am not training for an event, nor do I have a goal to lose excessive body fat. So, the decision to keep pushing was simply an ego one.

The moral to the story is to always be mindful of what your body is telling you daily. Your body will always tell you what it needs, you just must listen. You also must ignore your ego. Your ego will only get you hurt or in trouble.

As a wellness professional I am guilty at times of focusing on the distance and how fast I finished a hike or walk. Rather than taking my time and forgetting about the fitness goals.

When you go on a walk or hike the goal should be to observe everything that you pass, discover new things, listen to the sounds, feel the breeze and just be there.

How many times have you gone for a walk or hike and can’t recall anything about it other than you did it, you were tired and/or hot. I know it has happened to me and it has also happened to you as well.

If you are doing it on a walk or hike you are most likely doing it in everyday life. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself a few easy questions.

What was the weather like in the morning two days ago?

Who did you talk to if anyone three days ago?

What did you talk about in detail?

Did you notice anything new over the past week during your day?

Seems easy right…. take a few minutes and really think about it.

How did you do? How mindful of your days were you?

Well you are not alone it is estimated the 95% of people in todays modern world can not answer those questions easily or at all. The reasons vary for every person on the surface at first. When I deep dive with people about it the reasons don’t vary as much anymore. Suddenly it’s “I just wasn’t paying attention and I was on auto-pilot. I do the same things every day and every week”.

What has happened to us as a society? Well, nowadays it’s rush here, rush there, check social media, watch TV, workout, eat and sleep. For over 90% of the people I have asked this is exactly the order.

The first to go is our health. Starting with sleep because we get so distracted by social media and TV that we don’t sleep enough or get enough quality sleep. The second, to go is healthy eating or just eating at all. When we go on auto-pilot we tend to grab quick and easy bad food choices or don’t eat at all because we don’t slow down and plan. Last to go is exercise. Last because this one makes us feel guilty if we don’t perform it. Plus, it requires discipline and focus to make sure that we don’t get hurt while exercising.

So how do we get back to the actual journey of life and not be on a mindless race to the end.

Morning Wake Up

It begins by waking up each day awake and present. When I say that I mean you need to wake up after getting a full night of rest and recovery to be fully recharged. To be present means to slow down and listen, feel, smell and see everything around you.

DO NOT TURN ON THE TV OR GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR CHECK YOUR EMAILS.

If you want to know what the weather is like outside go outside see it, feel it and smell the morning air. While you are out there look around. Do you hear any birds singing? Do you see the sunrise? If so how did it make you feel? Trust me checking the weather this way is far more beneficial for your mind, body and soul. Try it for one week and if it doesn’t change you in a positive manner contact me and tell me why and how it did affect you.

Rush Here, Rush There

Sometimes we just can’t avoid rushing around, but most days we can. If we wake up earlier, plan better, leave earlier or take a different route. My point is there are always better options if you take time to plan your day. Planning your day isn’t just about driving your car. It’s also about your every day activities. Most people try for eight hours of sleep at night, which leaves you with sixteen hours a day to accomplish the daily tasks. Which should be more than sufficient.

First rule: When planning your day not everything has to be completed in the same four-hour window. Spread it out and be more efficient.

Second rule: Your health must come first. Yes, before TV and social media. The sooner you realize there is a whole world waiting for you that is real and not on TV or on social media the healthier you will be mentally and physically.

Third rule: Preplan healthy meals. This is very important, because if you are eating unhealthy meals your brain will sit in a constant fog from not receiving the proper nutrient’s.

Fourth rule: Be present all day. Don’t let yourself be distracted by people or tasks that are not your responsibility. If your day is preplanned well an additional task will not upset your day because you will still have time available to accomplish it and everything else.

By now you have probably realized just how often that you are not present and experiencing everything around you every day.

Can you see how preplanning can save you time every day to be present? In 26 years as a wellness professional preplanning has worked for thousands of my clients. It is the reason that they were able to change their lives for the healthier.

Meditating and Meditation

Meditating is another way to become more present every day. Wait! What? Meditating is for clearing the mind of all thoughts, right? Wrong, meditating is about enhancing your thoughts not muting them. Think about it this way. The more you are aware of your thoughts good and bad, the more you can understand them, feel them and enjoy them. So, meditating is a good way to focus your thoughts for each day.

Meditation practice begins with breathing. Proper breathing is the key to meditating. Breathing should be slow, deep full breaths that you can maintain and use to help bring you into a state of meditation. Meditation does not need to be long and yes it does require practice. Not a single person does it perfectly the very first time or the second.

When you meditate focus on the here and now not the past or the future. Remember life is being present now. So, if you are thinking about the past or the future you are not able to experience the present.

Past, Present and Future

While it is good to understand the past, it is not a place to dwell or get stuck. The same is true about the future. It is great to dream about what you want but dreams alone will not get you them. When you are living in the present you can use the experience of the past to make the correct decisions for the dreams that you want to make come true in the future.

How often are you dreaming or reminiscing rather than being present? Dreaming or reminiscing too much are signs that you need to make a change in your present life. What is too much? Too much is when you do it so often that your present life is on auto-pilot. In today’s world over 90% of people are either dreaming or reminiscing or both every day. Hence the auto-pilot state of being.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT!

Bottom line

The bottom line is you have a choice to run on auto-pilot or to be mindfully present every day. I have outlined in this blog the easiest ways to start enjoying the journey of your life rather than just counting the distance that you have traveled.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me directly.

In the past 26 years as a coach I have probably been told I can’t no less than at least twice a day by a client or someone asking for advice. Every time I hear “I CAN’T” I have proven to that person that they can but just won’t. Sometimes it’s fear but most of the time it’s laziness. I say it’s laziness because it requires effort to do something that they have never done before.

Relationship Perspective

In a relationship both people need to give 100%. If when person is giving 100% and the other person is only giving 80% what happens? Well eventually the relationship fails because the 80% person overtime will begin to give less and the 100% person will begin to feel the pressure to support both. When the 80% person was asked why they could only give 80% they responded with I Can’t, the real answer is I won’t because they are afraid. In relationships people typically won’t give 100% because they are afraid of loving completely, sharing secrets (fear of rejection) or just lazy and they are comfortable.

Fitness Perspective

Fitness is the easiest to conquer, also the first place where people are lazy. 90% of people are afraid to try new exercises, as well as, increase the weight that they are lifting. WHY, because it requires effort! Cardio is a prime example of laziness. For cardio to truly be effective you need to increase your heart rate and maintain it. Once again most people would rather just be comfortable and walk comfortably for 30 minutes while watching TV. Again, this is not fear but laziness.

Business Perspective

The workplace is a great example of where people become comfortable and only perform the basic tasks required to receive a paycheck. Why, does this happen? That’s an easy answer as well. When these people are asked why they only perform the basic limits they answer is “Well I know how much I need to earn and why would I want to move up and work harder”.

Can you see a common theme in these three perspectives? Hopefully you can because you probably recognize someone like this or possibly it is you. Don’t be offended if it is you. You can still take it to the next level, but first you need to figure out what is holding you back.

What is causing you to be lazy or afraid?

Is it a learned behavior?

Is it something that you developed because of something that happened to you?

All of these questions can be answered if you truly desire more out of life. The start begins when you recognize when you say I Can’t and how often you say it. Next, is when you realize that you truly can but just won’t unless you put in the effort.

One of the biggest mistakes that is made in the fitness world is lifting to impress the ego, rather than lifting for health and wellness. What I am talking about is trying to lift weight that is completely too heavy, as well as, trying to perform cardio like they are 18 again.

This problem used to be strictly a guy thing, but now women are also falling into this bad habit. For some reason the phrase “Train Smarter Not Harder” was lost and replaced with “Grunt … I Can Do It”. Ego lifting is leading to higher levels of injuries then ever before and not just physical but mental as well.

What do I mean by mental injuries? Basically, not only did the person physically get hurt but now their ego was hurt, and it has left a mark of failure and fear. Very few people just jump back up and try the thing that hurt them again. Instead they avoid it all together.

Had the individual started out slowly and eased their body into a training program they would not have gotten injured physically and mentally. Too many online programs do not progress people at the pace that they need to progress when they are deconditioned. In fact, most programs whether online or in person jump right in hardcore to get results as quickly as possible because they know that’s what the person is looking for in a program. Of course, there is always the disclaimer “Please consult a doctor before attempting any new exercise or exercise program”. Which 99% of the people never do, instead they just jump right in. After the very first workout they are so sore that it hurts to move for days because their intensity was too high.

Why did this happen? First, the exercise routine was not personalized to the individual’s ability. Second, the exercise routine was designed to continuously motivate and push the individual to do every exercise to completion. Third, the ego took over and said, “Grunt … I can Do It”, when the body was saying “Slow Down, I Am Not Ready”.

Training for health and wellness means consulting with a qualified professional about your goals. Then have that professional perform an exercise assessment to find out if you have developed any muscular imbalances, as well as, flexibility issues. Muscular imbalances and flexibility issues can lead to injury very quickly and delay you from reaching your goals for months. A qualified professional will design a flexibility program, strength program and cardiovascular program to help you meet and exceed your goals safely. Whether you train with that qualified professional on a regular basis or just perform the plan they designed you should always make sure to get a checkup. Over time your form for each exercise can become altered simply because it felt better initially. This is how cumulative damage develops over time. Depending on the length of the program is exactly when you should check in again for another assessment. If you are following the program your flexibility should have increased, your strength both muscular and cardiovascular should have increased and best of all you should be closer to your goals.

Setting the right goals is an important first step. Most people trying to lose weight focus just on weight loss. However, you’ll be more successful if you focus on dietary and exercise changes that lead to long-term weight change. Successful weight managers select no more than two or three goals at a time.

Effective goals are Specific and Attainable. “Exercise more” is a commendable ideal, but it’s not specific. “Walk five miles every day” is specific and measurable, but is it attainable if you’re just starting out? “Walk 30 minutes every day” is more attainable, but what happens if you’re held up at work or there’s a thunderstorm? “Walk 30 minutes, five days each week” is specific, attainable, and forgiving. In short, a great goal!

Nothing Succeeds Like Success

Select a series of short-term goals that get you closer and closer to the goal (for example, consider reducing carbohydrate intake from 60 percent of calories to 50 percent and later to 45 percent). Nothing succeeds like success. This strategy employs two important behavioral principles: (1) consecutive goals that move you ahead in small steps are the best way to reach a distant point, and (2) consecutive rewards keep the overall effort invigorated.

Reward Success but Not with Food

You’re more likely to keep working toward your goal if you are rewarded—especially when goals are difficult to reach. An effective reward is something that is desirable, timely, and contingent on meeting your goal. Your rewards may be tangible (e.g., a night out or a payment toward buying a costlier item) or intangible (e.g., an hour of quiet time away from the daily demands of work). As you meet small goals, give yourself numerous small rewards; don’t wait to meet your goal for a single reward. The long, difficult effort might lead you to give up.

Balance Your Wellness Checkbook

Keeping track of your behavior—observing and recording calorie intake, servings of fruits and vegetables, exercise frequency and duration, or any other wellness behavior—can help alter that behavior. Self-monitoring usually changes a behavior in the desired direction and can produce “real-time” records for you and your wellness professional. For example, you can track your exercise progress and record of all improvements in exercise performance. These records will encourage you to keep up the good work. If the record shows little or no progress, you know that a change of strategy is needed. Some people find that specific self-monitoring forms make it easier, while others prefer to use their own recording system.

Although you don’t need to step on the scale every day, monitoring your weight regularly (once a week) can help you maintain your lower weight. Perform body measurements monthly as well, this will also tell if things are changing or not. Changes in your body’s water content, rather than fat content, are responsible for most of the up-and-down fluctuations from day to day. A long-term downward trend reflects fat losses.

Avoid a Chain Reaction

Identify the social or environmental cues that seem to encourage undesirable eating, and then change those cues. For example, you may learn from reflection or self-monitoring that you’re more likely to overeat while watching television or when you’re around a certain friend. You might then try to break the association between eating and the cue (don’t eat while watching television) or change the circumstances surrounding the cue (plan to meet with your friend in nonfood settings). In general, visible and accessible food items often are cues for unplanned eating.

Wait for The Message

Changing the way, you go about eating can make it easier to eat less without feeling deprived. It takes 15 or more minutes for your brain to get the message you’ve been fed. Slowing the rate of eating can allow satiation (fullness) signals to begin by the end of the meal. Eating lots of vegetables also can make you feel fuller. Another trick is to use smaller plates so that moderate portions do not appear meager. Changing your eating schedule, or setting one, can be helpful, especially if you tend to skip or delay meals and overeat later.

The Backsliding Phenomenon

You’ve just signed a contract with yourself to avoid high calorie sugary desserts for one month. Then you’re presented with your favorite “to die for” desserts at a restaurant. You say to yourself, “just this once” and satisfy your craving. Most of us have experienced the “backsliding phenomenon” in which we have lost our dedication and slipped back into a former bad habit. When it happens, be prepared for it and don't beat yourself up, instead buckle down and move on. You’re most apt to backslide when you’re tempted by something unexpected and your self-control is threatened. You can remove high calorie sugary snacks from your home, but not from other places you eat. Imagine tempting situations in your mind’s eye and practice coping with them successfully. If you do slip, don’t waste time with self-blame. Learn from the experience and get back on track.

Nowadays most guys either are very soft and cuddly with their skinny jeans, hair buns and dad bods or super macho and showing everyone. These extremes are just plain sad. To both groups I beg you please WAKE UP! Do you really think that real women want either?

Let’s be honest if you wear skinny jeans a woman knows your sperm isn’t any good anyway. Not because you are defective but because you kill the sperm daily from the heat generated in your body. Hey macho men you are not much better trust me. Women look at you and think great he will protect me, cheat on me or beat me. Where is the balance?

Pick a guy from the movies that has badass and class written all over him “James Freaking Bond”!

You know he can kick some serious ass, right? Yet you never see him intimidate a woman. You never see him not look classy or smooth. James Bond also does not walk around cursing and looking to start a fight. So once again why do women love Bond? The answer is right there. No I did not forget that he drinks and no I am not saying that you need to as well.

You don’t have to walk around in suits to be a badass and classy at the same time. You do have to learn from ego mistakes and fashion mistakes. You are not living in a video game or on a sports field. You live in the real world where guess what there are emotions and insecurities and that’s a good thing because it keeps us at the top of our game. Yes learning how to be a better man is a good thing!

Trust me as a middle aged man who trains women of all ages all day long I hear what they want and it’s not the super macho or the skinny pants and dad bod guys. They want real men that are educated, strong/healthy, confident and compassionate. So guys look presentable, stop cursing 24/7, exercise, put away the video games and talk about something other than sports.

Bottom line you can eat like a caveman and still be a gentleman. Make the simple changes and watch how your life improves around you.

The phrase Interval Training is used very often. But what does it mean?

On a basic level interval training is the raising and lowering of the heart rate during a given workout. So, why do we want to raise and lower the heart rate? For years the answer has been because it helps you lose weight faster. Well that answer is correct, but how do you lose weight faster.

The body is just like any machine. Meaning it has an optimal operating range. If your heart rate is too high it has a negative effect on the desired results. Now if your heart rate is too low it also has a negative effect on the desired results. So what is the optimal heart rate range? For each person it is different. For example there can be three adult males all 5’ 10” tall and weighing 195 lbs. All three work out on a regular basis. All three have a different program that they follow. All three have a different optimal heart rate range. The first could be between 135 to 150 beats per minute. The second could be between 160 to 175 beats per minute. The third could be between 120 and 135 beats per minute. Each one of these three has trained their bodies to be efficient in their heart rate range. The heart rate range is where the body will burn the most body fat and build the most muscle fiber.

Can you change your heart rate range? The answer is YES YOU CAN! That is what interval training is all about. Earlier I spoke about the raising and lowering of your heart rate. Why do we want to do this? The reason is you have an anaerobic threshold and an aerobic base. The anaerobic threshold is the top level of the optimal heart rate range. When this threshold has been crossed the body no longer burns body fat efficiently and instead uses muscle for a source of fuel. The reason your body use muscle as fuel is because your glycogen stores have been used. The aerobic base is the lowest end of the optimal heart rate range. When the heart rate has not reached the aerobic base it is not burning body fat and not building muscle fiber efficiently. The zones between the aerobic base and anaerobic threshold are where you will optimize your body fat burn, but this is not optimal training to increase performance. Interval training is optimal for burning body fat and increasing performance.

Interval training over time will both raise the anaerobic threshold and the aerobic base. Body fat loss will still occur during this type of training because your body will be in the optimal heart rate range 30% of the training time. The reason for 30% of the time is because if you have never participated in an exercise metabolic test then you will never know your personal optimal heart rate range.

This is why it is important to have a metabolic test performed. Metabolic testing is the measurement of your carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange in the body, while monitoring the heart rate to see what is your personal optimal heart rate range. With most exercise metabolic tests you should receive a cardiovascular workout plan to increase both your anaerobic threshold and aerobic base. These workouts should consist of steady state cardio and intervals. The steady state workouts will develop your aerobic base (starting heart rate), while the interval workouts will improve your anaerobic threshold (where you stop burning fat and start burning sugar for fuel).

If you participate in an exercise metabolic test you can reduce how long it takes you to reach your personal goals by 50%. The reason is because you will know your personal optimal heart rate range. Then by using your personal designed cardio workouts you can take your performance to the next level.

We are a society based on vanity! All the way back to the beginning of recorded history humans have wanted to live forever, look more attractive and be stronger. The amazing and sad part is most of the time it was to attract the best mate. This is something that as a society we should have evolved past in the modern age, but we have not. In fact it has just gotten worse, but now it's not about finding a suitable mate. Now it's about the image that society puts on each of us. We must look a certain way, act a certain way and be a certain way.

A few examples are:

No wrinkles

Loss of hair

Skin blemishes

Small muscles

Body fat

Premature gray hair or baldness

Due to our vanity issues we now have the following killing us daily:

Botox for wrinkles

Plastic surgery

Hair implants

Breast enlargements

Pubic Hair removal on kids

Tanning booths and self-tanners

The incredibly sad part is that we have become so desensitized to the modifications that are being made to our bodies that we accept them as the norm. We don't even think about the fact that 50 years ago the products and procedures that we consider the norm today were thought of as disgusting and crazy. Yes, some the products and procedures existed but not many people were doing them and the ones that were, were looked at like "why would they do that?"

As a society we need to wake up and realize our vanity is killing us and our loved ones. Anytime you put a chemical into your body it alters your bodies' chemistry even if it is just for a short time. Unless your body was scarred in an accident plastic surgery should not be an option. Also, letting girls under 18 to get there pubic hair waxed or laser removed should not be allowed. What are we teaching our kids when we allow vanity to rule our lives?

Bottom line is we all need to educate ourselves about the effects of vanity and stop promoting it over health and wellness.

The New Year's Resolutions are coming very soon and the number one resolution is to lose weight. In the title I said "Anyone Can Lose Weight" and this is very accurate. The real accomplishment isn't the weight loss, it's the behavioral change to maintain the weight loss and not bounce back.

The biggest mistake people make is that they diet until they have lost the weight and then quit and bounce back. The real reason that people bounce back is because they never really changed any of their bad behaviors/habits, instead they just put them on the shelf for later. No permanent changes to their lifestyle were ever made.

Some examples of easy behavioral changes:

Getting enough sleep

Eating regular "real food" meals

Not binge drinking

Exercise daily (cardio, resistance, yoga)

Some major behavioral issues that people never deal with are:

Emotional eating

Peer pressure

Self esteem

Body image

Until all of the behavioral changes are made, true weight loss will always be a struggle. Self-help books will help, but they cannot give you feedback. Friends will most often tell you that you are doing great because they fear hurting your feelings. The best way to make solid behavioral changes is to work with a life coach or therapist that is not connected to you in any way. You want that person to be able to be completely honest with you at all times. What you need is guided therapy not cuddling or judgement.

This time of year it’s all too common to find people that are depressed. The reasons can range from loss of a loved one or loss of a job. Even feeling alone and having no money.

How do you change these behaviors to a positive? This is a question that I get asked often. For some feeling depressed is new and for others it is something that has been programmed into them for years. No matter which group you fall into you still need to start by making simple changes.

Some simple changes:

· Wake up early/ Go to bed early (don’t spend all night watching TV or on the net)

· Start eating clean and real food, meaning not processed.

· Stop drinking alcohol

· Exercise daily (even if it is just going for a 30 minute walk)

· Stop watching the news when you wake up

· Social media – Only follow positive people and pages

The changes listed above are simple and easy to make. I am not telling you to make all of these changes right now. Instead start with one or two. Perform the change/changes for a week and after it becomes a routine add another. If you perform the change/changes for at least a week you will find that you are starting to feel better already.

When you start to feel better physically, you will start to feel better mentally. When you stop focusing on the negative in life, you will start seeing all of the positive. Yes it is a chain reaction. Make one positive change it changes everything.

When you make all of the simple changes and are still feeling depressed it is time to start focusing on the real cause, not just the surface problem. For example loss of a loved one during the holidays is one of the hardest things to deal with daily. Most people focus on the loss, when they should be focusing on the positive memories. Remembering the positive memories will help you hold them in your heart so that they can still share the new memories with you. They are still with you even if it is just in spirit. This is something that we all tend to forget.

Money, that nasty word! In today’s society we place too much value on it and it causes many people to become depressed. We all want more of it every day, but the reality is the fact that it should have zero effect on your happiness. So you cannot purchase the most expensive gifts or any gifts at all. Happiness is a feeling that comes from inside you, not from material things. For example a babies laugh, a smile from a stranger or just a beautiful sunrise cost nothing but all can make you happier than any gift. So stop overlooking the important things and start recognizing where your real happiness comes from.

Finally, feeling alone during the holidays will cause you to feel depressed. whether you are truly alone or not you can still find happiness. Reach out to relatives and friends. Make a phone call it takes just a few seconds to dial the phone. If there is no one to call then go to a public place and start a conversation with a stranger. There is a good chance that they are feeling alone as well. Having a conversation with a complete stranger over coffee or tea can develop new friendships that can last for years to come.

I hope by reading this note you will be able to find the happiness that is inside you already. If you have questions or comments please feel free to leave them below.

Bill is the owner of Bill Ross Fit The Mindful Trainer. He is Quest Nutrition Ambassador, NASM Master Trainer, Master Mindfulness Practitioner and a Primal Health Coach. He specializes in getting results by overcoming the obstacles YOU have developed over the years. He uses his 27 years of knowledge of personal training, health coaching and mindfulness training to design custom plans with achievable results every time. He was awarded Best of Denver for personal trainers in 2015 and 2016. Bill was also a featured member in the March 2018 Idea Fitness Journal.